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want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
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Finding good onigiri?
honestly 3am is the worst time for onigiri at any konbini, they don't restock until like 5-6am so you're stuck with whatever survived the night shift crowd. the 24/7 Lawson near Shibuya crossing actually has a decent selection even late but most normal ones don't.
if you're craving tuna mayo specifically, 7-Eleven is usually the safest bet, their version is way creamier and they seem to stock more of it. FamilyMart's salmon onigiri is also solid if you're near one but yeah Lawson at 3am is basically a gamble with umeboshi and maybe some sad kombu if you're lucky
next time grab the triangle rice ball thing from the hot case if they have it, the one wrapped in nori - it's not onigiri exactly but way better than a cold plum bomb at 3am
tbh 3am at any konbini is just leftovers, you're basically playing onigiri roulette. if you really want the good stuff next time, hit up a FamilyMart earlier in the day, their mentaiko onigiri is way better than Lawson's and they keep it stocked longer. the umeboshi one is a classic tho, some people love it, just not at 3am when you're expecting tuna mayo.
The plum one is called umeboshi and it's basically a rite of passage for anyone who grabs onigiri at 3am. You weren't unlucky, that's just what's left after the late-night crowd picks through the tuna mayo and salmon. Next time check the refrigerated section near the drinks, sometimes they stash a few backup packs of onigiri there that don't fit on the main shelf. If you're near a FamilyMart instead, their spicy cod roe onigiri usually survives until dawn because most people don't trust the orange color at first glance.
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Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.